JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Senate is discussing a bill that would make the Show Me State an open-enrollment state. On Wednesday, the Senate took up House Bill 711 for a third reading and final passage. The legislation would allow K-12 public schools to decide whether to accept students from neighboring districts. House Bill
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) A Missouri Senate committee has approved putting a ballot measure before voters that would overturn Amendment 3. House Joint Resolution 73 has already been approved by the full House. Voters approved Amendment 3, which established reproductive health care — including abortion — as a constitutional right in last November’s election. The
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri House began voting Wednesday morning on budget bills approved by the Senate — a step in hammering out a compromise version between the two chambers. The Senate approved the state’s 13 budget bills in a late-night session Tuesday. The House rejected those bills on Tuesday. With differences between the
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Supporters of a voter-passed proposition rejoiced after a court’s decision on Tuesday. The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Proposition A, which raised the state’s minimum wage and requires employers to offer paid sick leave, rejecting arguments from business groups that the ballot measure was misleading and unconstitutional. The court’s majority ruled
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a voter-approved law that increases the minimum wage and requires employers to provide paid leave. Chief Justice Mary Russell wrote the majority opinion, joined by five of the court’s seven judges. The remaining judge wrote in a separate opinion that the court does not have
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Lee’s Summit man filed suit Friday against a law designed to give the attorney general more power in a lawsuit over abortion rights and changes how ballot questions are written. Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 22 into law on Thursday in Cole County. The law allows the attorney general to
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe announced on Thursday that he signed a bill into law that could lead to a challenge of a voter-passed amendment to the Missouri Constitution on abortion. Kehoe signed Senate Bill 22 into law, which allows the state’s attorney general to appeal any preliminary injunctions issued before Aug. 28.
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A judge ordered that five international college students in Missouri who had their visas recently revoked to have them be temporarily reinstated. A temporary restraining order was signed on Thursday by Missouri Western District Judge Stephen Bough. Five students on Sunday had sued Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the DHS
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The Missouri State Highway Patrol is one of two agencies that have signed agreements with ICE to expand the local agency’s immigration enforcement power with federal oversight. MSHP and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office signed agreements with ICE under an executive order that expanded federal cooperation in immigration law enforcement with local police. Missouri is
Continue Reading COLUMBIA, Mo. KMIZ A state Senate bill is heading to the governor’s desk that could affect ballot language and may also take out abortion access in Missouri. The most controversial aspect of the bill will allow the attorney general to appeal any preliminary injunctions issued before Aug. 28. A preliminary injunction allowed abortion access to
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri State Highway Patrol has joined a growing number of law enforcement agencies authorized to carry out limited immigration enforcement under federal supervision. Records obtained by ABC 17 News give further details into what the agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — which was signed by MSHP in March —
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 4 into law Wednesday morning, with supporters saying it will strengthen Missouri’s energy infrastructure. “This is about powering Missouri for Missourians and not relying on other states and countries to produce our power,” Kehoe said in a press release. “This legislation strengthens our economic development opportunities,
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) ​An associate pastor from Columbia’s Broadway Christian Church has been put on leave after his arrest Friday for allegedly stealing campaign signs for a Columbia mayoral candidate. Andrew Peck, 46, was arrested by sheriff’s deputies for allegedly stealing signs for candidate Blair Murphy near South Scott Boulevard. Broadway Christian Church board chairman
Continue Reading JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) The Missouri House of Representatives passed a $47.9 billion state budget on Thursday. The budget features $8 billion for K-12 education, including more than $4 billion in core funding for schools. House Republican leaders touted the $200 million increase in funding for this year over last year, one of the largest
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Municipal elections in Missouri are April 8, and one of the roles up for grabs is the mayoral seat in Columbia. Incumbent Barbara Buffaloe is running for reelection, while challengers Blair Murphy, Tanya Heath and write-in candidate Lucio Bitoy take a shot at the seat. View an interview ABC 17 News reporter
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) President Donald Trump is set to escalate his trade dispute with Canada, announcing a 25% tariff on auto imports that will take effect Wednesday — a move that could significantly impact Missouri. Canada is Missouri’s largest trade partner. The Show-Me State imports goods such as transportation equipment and primary manufactures from Canada,
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Gun violence prevention activists gathered at the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday to call for action on gun safety. Volunteers from the Missouri chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action gathered for their annual Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Advocacy Day. “Moms Demand Action is incredibly strong across
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) Missouri’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency has received more than 9,000 pages of responses through its Missouri Accountability Portal. Records obtained by ABC 17 News show that in the first 48 days of the portal’s operation, the department received approximately 9,048 responses, with most coming in the first 24 days. Between
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COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A former Mid-Missouri congressman has been confirmed to a seat on the board that governs the University of Missouri. According to a social media post from the University of Missouri System, Blaine Luetkemeyer was confirmed to the University of Missouri Board of Curators by the Missouri Senate. Luetkemeyer, who stepped down from
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) Gov. Mike Kehoe signed House Bill 495 on Wednesday morning, focusing on public safety, which has been a top priority for the administration since taking office. A part of this bill will establish a committee dedicated to school safety within the Department of Public Safety. Those who will serve on this
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